Damage Control: Women on the Therapists, Beauticians, and Trainers Who Navigate Their Bodies – Intimate Stories of Surrender, Transformation, and Beauty

by Emma Forrest (Editor)

Traditionally, women share their secrets with their hairdressers. But what about their manicurists, masseurs, chi gong teachers, and tattoo artists? In Damage Control , women wax poetic about the experts and gurus who help them love themselves, sharing stories of everything from friendships born in the make-up chair to the utter dismay of a truly horrible haircut. Minnie Driver finally meets a Frenchman who understands her hair . . . and tries to teach her not to hate it. Marian Keyes remembers the blow-dry that pushed her over the edge. Francesca Lia Block tells the ugly story of the plastic surgeon who promised to make her beautiful. Rose McGowan explains why it's harder to be depressed when you're glamorous . . . and shows how it takes a village to transform from mere mortal to movie star. Witty and wise, Damage Control is an intimate, sometimes dark, look at our experiences with the professionals who pluck, prod, and pamper every inch of our bodies—and a reminder why we surrender ourselves to their (hopefully) very capable hands.

Genres: Fashion, Nonfiction, Sociology, Feminism

282 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Emma Forrest is a British-American journalist, novelist and screenwriter. She currently resides in Los Angeles, CA.

Reviews

[Verkakte · Rating 2 out of 5]

The majority of essays in Damage Control are incredibly try-hard in their attempts to instill meaning into conventional Western beauty practices within anecdotal tales. At best, they fail. At worst, they reinforce the vapid, vacuous stereotype that they aim to dismantle in the first place by lacking any clear direction or any distinct message within each text. My expectations for this collection weren’t particularly high to begin with, but even still, the essays in Damage Control lack any humor, wit, or charm to recommend them. They are mostly, frankly, terrible.

That being said, Damage Control does contain a few gems. Body Lessons by Lena Levin is a rather moving essay in which a haircut and a massage evoke memories, both personal and familial, of the trespasses against the bodies of three generations of women (Levin, her mother, and her grandmother). Levin’s essay is of particular interest given that inherited trauma is currently a rising hot topic in psychology. Permanent: The Persistence of Arab Beauty Rituals by Maysan Haydar is an astute consideration of the space where Arab beauty practices and American beauty practices intersect. Rites of Spring by Sarah Bennett deftly captures the dynamic of the fast friendships that many women experience in their twenties and creates an incredibly relatable atmosphere.

While I enjoyed reading these three essays, their presence in this collection is not nearly enough to make Damage Control a worthwhile read. If you’re looking for an entertaining or intelligent approach to beauty rituals and the beauty industry, look elsewhere.

[Rachel Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. As someone else said, I wish I could rate each essay individually. I love Emma Forrest's books so I was hoping this would be better - especially since the topic of women's bodies and the beauty industry particularly interest me. There were some stories/essays in here that I enjoyed, but for the most part, each of them seemed a bit rushed (as if they had been given a word limit), making it difficult to connect or empathize.

I was confused as to why the essay/interview from Peter Theobold was in the book. He barely talked about his work/experiences as a hairstylist... wrote about his family and his nephew. It didn't seem to belong in the book. It would have been interesting to read about what is been like to work as a hairstylist for so long (i.e. what's changed in the industry, a male's perspective on women/our culture's obsession with beauty, etc.)

Also, I didn't want to say it, but, Rose McGowan seems like such an asshole - complaining about her hairstylists/yoga instructors talking too much about their personal lives (as if she refuses to be bothered with "real life" people), the prices of beauty treatments (you're a fucking celebrity!!) Writing is not her strong suit... it was a rambly piece. Her celebrity status could have made it an imperative piece of writing if she had discussed how the beauty rituals she experiences on the set of her films/shows differ from her male counterparts.

[Margaret Comer · Rating 2 out of 5]

This anthology of women writing about the people they trust to touch and manipulate their bodies was, overall, a disappointment. The writing was generally bad and bland, and there was a surfeit of unexamined privilege. This is not an intersectional book; only a tiny fraction of the essays treats the aestheticians and so on as real people, not fantasy tropes or stereotypes. The scattered interviews with professionals throughout do not help the case much; these pieces are short, ill-focused, and are published without editing, so that all the errors of those who don't speak English as a first language are preserved. In addition, although many writers talk about their own insecurities, many of them are explicitly fat-phobic. All of the pieces needed better editing, and it's not really clear what ties the different sections and whole book together. However, there are some good pieces of writing hiding inside it. Do not recommend; it is not a searching or enlightening work.

[Cassie Fleurs · Rating 2 out of 5]

Esperaba mucho mucho más. El tema es muy bueno, pero la calidad de los ensayos no. Algunos son mucho mejores que otros, pero ninguno me cautivo ni sentí que tuviera mucho que decir. Pensé las reflexiones serían de un tono más académico o periodístico, pero literal son las opiniones al azar de algunas mujeres. No pasan de columnas de relleno que se acaban abruptamente sin llegar a nada.

[Natalie Shawver · Rating 4 out of 5]

The perfect read for any woman. If you get your hair cut or have routine waxing appointments, this is a read you can relate to. To hear the story from the other side and from those who would do anything (and I mean anything) for a hair cut, these short stories and essays are gems. I laughed, I chuckled, I couldn't put it down. Reading about women who look to their stylists as therapists made all the sense in the world. I even asked a stylist last weekend if she felt like she had two jobs: "I should have 'Dr.' in front of my name for the things I hear on a daily basis from clients." It's an underworld of sorts that I never thought about; secrets that are often kept. As women, we all deal with the same beauty routines, and this book made me feel less alone in hating my hair, crazy eyebrows and budgeting for all of the above.

[Terri · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a series of essays by women (some: Minnie Driver, Marian Keyes, Francesca Lia Block). They talk about those that share some of their most personal moments: Therapists, Beauticians, trainers, massage therapists....

These are glimpses into those moments many of us share.

It is interesting to see how different women perceive things like reflexology which I enjoy or things like that.

But overall, I enjoyed each of the essays but most will be quickly forgotten.

Proceeds from the book sales go to support my favorite charity though -- Women for Women International so I am happy for that.

[Kat A · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good collection of stories. I'm pretty full up with new authors these days, and none of the contributors really caught my attention. I initially took this out because there was a story by Marian Keyes, but it was another dud. As much as I sympathize with her struggles with depression, I am still a fan, and am hoping for another great piece of writing that is longer than a short story. And if it never happens, at least I will have read her other books. :) I also really did not like/get the Sarah Bennett story at the end. If you don't have time, give it a miss, but there are some stories worth reading in here.

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wish I could rate the essays in this book individually. Some really resonated whereas others fell flat. I also think my feelings on this book suffered from an expectations problem. That is to say, I do not think my expectations were necessarily in line with what this book was offering. I have to say, as usual, the piece by Francesca Lia Block was worth the time spent on this entire book.

[LaLa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the theory of this collection of short stories was more interesting than the actual stories were.

I love the idea of thinking intentionally about the strangers that touch us, that make us who we are.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Most of the essays were good. Some were very good (Rose McGowan, I had no idea you were so witty!). The interviews felt like filler. I had low expectations for this book, and they were met. Get it from the library, if you must.

[Alisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Picked this up by chance on the library shelves. Julie Burchill's essay was brilliant, Francesca Lia Block's good, but many were truly terrible - self-absorbed, whiny - particularly those written by the 'famous'. Rose McGowan, my heart bleeds for you.

[Mary-Marcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bought this for practically nothing on sale. It's been a pleasant surprise, a little more than I expected. Uneven but I am fascinated to think of the people themselves, who literally touch us. From frivolous to serious... how much do we navigate our lives in touch.

[Danette (Dani) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny, fascinating and fun. Everyone woman will relate to at least one story in this book, if not many!

[Rosalind M · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this more. There were some very good essays in the mix, but there were also many that seemed to skitter away from what was supposed to be the main subject.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought it was boring. Maybe I'm just cranky lately, but I feel like everything I'm reading sucks!

[Angela Wheeler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some parts of this book are really interesting, others not so much. Overall it's worth the time to at least skim it if you're interested.

[M · Rating 2 out of 5]

This collection of essays was a bit uneven, but the great ones are truly worth reading.